Tampere, Finland, June 17, 2011 – Serbia scored a thrilling 3-2 (25-20, 23-25, 25-17, 34-36, 15-11) win over hosts Finland in their 2011 FIVB Volleyball World League Pool C match in Tampere on Friday evening in a game which went down to the wire.

Sasa Starovic led the visitors with 25 points as Finland’s Mikko Oivanen topped the scores with an astonishing 37 points.

Serbia had a better start to the first set and took an early lead. But the Serbian block held out any more attacks as the Finns struggled to utilize their offensive game as the travelling Serbs took an early lead.

Serbia carried their momentum through to the second and took the lead. But Finland fought back to draw before two blocks put them two points ahead as they brought the scores level at 1-all.

The third set saw Serbia come back as they took an early lead they refused to relinquish, rarely letting the home side into the game as they went ahead 2-1.

Finland’s dedicated fans proved the difference in the fourth as the hosts looked to take the match to a tie break. They nearly did so at 24-23 but needed a few more points before Matti Oivanen aced a serve at 36-34 to take the two teams to a decisive fifth set.

The last set was a huge fight between both teams as they scored in turns to 11-11. Then Serbia took three points in a row and it was suddenly a match ball 14-11 before the game was brought to a close by a Serbia block.